Are you the Next Custodian!

Some time back I wrote a blog entry on a piece of River Reclaimed Bullet Tree that I had turned into a bowl. Some of you may recall my fond passion for this material and its history. Recently my friend at www.greenerlumber.com provided me with a piece of history that I simply could not resist turning into a family heirloom.

After searching thru the stock at GreenerLumber.com I found this beautiful piece of 4/4×28” wide River Reclaimed Honduran Mahogany. At first glance I saw the beautiful “Fire Ripples”, and quickly noticed it continued into a “Plum pudding” and golden patina look that I had never seen before.

After taking this beauty home I found myself frozen not knowing what to do next. Yeah I had a plan and I knew what I wanted to create. A nice traditional mission style sofa table for my wife (It was near Mother’s Day and I wanted to say I Love you) that would show the beauty of this piece, yet keep its natural colors and reclaimed look. However, when making my first cut to square up the piece and prepare it for a planner I couldn’t go any further. My hands were shaking like a cold dog! I had flash backs of my experience with the Bullet Tree, and realized once more I was the next custodian of this beautiful piece of history.

As I looked down at this piece my mind started to step back in time, and I realized that I was the next custodian of this rare find. You see I wasn’t even thought of two hundred and fifty years ago when this tree was cut. As a matter of a fact our country wasn’t even a country when someone cut this tree and it fell into the Belize River where it would lay untouched, until Greenerlumber reclaims it and I find it in their store. You know for a short time there I truly felt as if I was at the Smithsonian dusting off a piece of our world history.Well nonetheless, I was able to overcome my fears, but I decided not to plane the wood down. Instead I took it over to a local cabinet shop that had a large drum sander (seeing I didn’t have a 28” wide planner anyway) and had them take it down to a 300 grit finish. That was probably the best thing I could have done, as I was told by Rich from Greenerlumber that running something this beautiful thru a planner could be asking for trouble.

As you can see this piece speaks for its self, I didn’t need to add any dyes, stain or intrusive finish. Just wiped down with Antique Oil Finish, a little wax, and allot of love! You know sometimes we are chosen in life to be the next caretaker of an item or person. For only a short time I will be blessed to be the next custodian of this beautiful piece of history, and then as the Rivers of Belize, I will turn this piece over to someone or something else for their safe keeping.

Do you ever wonder who the next custodian will be of your rare find? Well until then! I’ll enjoy my time with it, as it’s caretaker.

-- You have to walk thru the valley, before you can stand on the mountain.

You need to write the story of how you acquired the piece, and history of the tree and put it somewhere connected with the table! In doing so, talk about how you felt building the masterpiece that came out of the river!

Great Work!!

Bob G.

-- BobG, Lowell, Arkansas--------My goal in life is to be the kind of person my dog thinks I am! Make more saw dust!!